Malachite

specimen number:
8311323

location:
Bisbee, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA

description:
Classic somewhat chatoyant green needlelike crystals of malachite covering all sides of matrix. This is in terrific condition.

The Bisbee mining district, located in the Mule Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona, was one of the most productive copper-producing regions in the world. Geologically, the area is famous for its large-scale replacement deposits and porphyry copper systems centered around the Sacramento Hill quartz monzonite intrusion. As hydrothermal fluids moved through the surrounding Paleozoic limestones, they created massive bodies of copper, lead, and zinc sulfides. Subsequent oxidation of these ores produced a spectacular array of secondary minerals, including world-class specimens of azurite, malachite, and cuprite. Historically, the first claims were filed in 1877, and the district quickly grew into a major industrial center dominated by the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company, which later became part of Phelps Dodge. Major production occurred in both massive underground operations and the later Lavender Pit open-pit mine. The district saw continuous large-scale mining for nearly a century until most operations finally ceased in 1975. Today, Bisbee remains a major historical and geological landmark, with its colorful mineral heritage preserved in museums around the globe.

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